Sylvania



H. G. INGRAM@ H..l R. DBRICKSQN.;

RBFRACTOMETER.-

APPLICATION FILED PEB`.,16. 1912.

1,045,148.. ,L n PatenteaNov-26. 1912 2 sums-'suini' 1.

H. s. INGRAM & a. R. DERIClsoI-.-

REPRAGTOMETBR., APPLICATIQN FILED r'BBJe, 1912.

Patented Non 26, 1912.

45 tially rotating thelens carriers.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT or'aEicE.`

HORACE G. INGBAM, F JUNIATA, .AND H-ABRY B. DERICKSON, 0F ALTOONA, PENN- SYLVANIA, .ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO SAMUEL GOLDBEBG, OF ALTOONA, PENN- SYLVANIA.

REFBACTOMTER.

Patented Nov. e6, 191e.

apancation inea February 16,1912. serial No. 678,122.

provements in Refractometers; and We do herebyV declare the following to bea Afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specihcation,

l5 and to the reference letters and figures marked thereon.

Our presenty invention has for its object to provide an optical instrument capable of diagnosing and measuring quickly and accurately errors in the refraction of the humaneye, which can be used by an oculist, optician or by the ordinary medical practitioner, without the necessity heretofore eX- isting of using an expensive caseof testi lenses.

A'further object of this invention is to simplify the method of testing for the re'- j fraction so that the 'patient .himself can operate the mechanism and getl as good retain improvements and const-rnc ons of parts, all of which will be hereina er fully described and the novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front eleva- 80 sults as the opticien, andv it consis in certion of an instrument .constructed in accord# anc'e with our invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail of the mechanism for operating the lens mounted in the tube; Fig. 4 is a side view partly in section ofthe lens carriers holding the cylindrical lenses; Fig. 5 is a detail of the operating mechanismhfor moving the disk at regular intervals, and also for par- Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the mechanism shown in Fig.. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail of the mechanism of Fig. 6.

Similar reference letters and iigures indicate similar. parts throughout the drawings.

The instrument consists of a base A, having a projection B formed integral therewith, and an arm C is fastened .t`o said projection B Upon the outer end 5.5 of the arm C as shown in detail in Fig. 4,

is rotatably mounted a disk 1 The foi`- Ward. end of the arm C acts as a pintle upon Which the disk rotates, and which is held in place b means of a vnut E held by a screw F on the end of the arm C Te do not wish to limit ourselves to this partlcular construction, however, and an -.form of mounting may be used instea Another disk 14 is fastenedl rigidly to the disk 1" and rotates therewith. The

disk 1 can be made lighter by cutting out va portion of the center and leaving radial arms 2 projecting from the hub.` yIn this case vthese arms 2 would preferably be reinforced with ribs, such as are indicated in Fig. 1. This can be omitted, however, without ailecting the invention. The annular portion of the disk shown at 3, has a number of circular openings in it, and in these openings. are mounted lens carriers 4 They are so mounted as to freely rotate ine-these openings, and upon the inner side of the llens carriers are fastened gear wheels having teeth 5` around the entire circumference, as shown in Fig. 5. lContiguous to this circle of lenses is mounted a mutilated gear 6, having teeth 7 partly` aroundk the circumference. This mutilated gear ismounted upon the end 'of a shaft 8., and upon the same shaft and concentric therewith, isv rigidly fastened a disk 9 This disk has a pin 11 rigidly mounted near its periphery and projecting in a horizontal direction toward the disk 1/1. The disk 14 has pins 12 also projecting horizontally toward the disk 9 placed at regular intervals around its periphery. It also has projections 215 placed at rotates the disk 9 and the mutilated gearv 6. When 'the pin 11 strikes a proljection 15 the notches 10 in the periphery of disk 9 are in exactly the position necessary to permit rotation of the disk 14 by reason of the down into the notches 10 and the disk .111 is, therefore, rotated a fraction of a revolution,I equal to the distance between pins 12 goingoperates a large gear 19.l The gear 19 in turn operates a similar gear 18 mounted upon aV shaft.8, and upon this shaft 8, as above described, is mounted the disk 9 and mutilated gear 6. This disk 9 holds the d isk l in position until the pin 11 strikes a projection 15, when the depressions 10 in the disk 9 allow movement of the wheel 14 until it has turned through a portion of a revolution equal to the distance between two consecutive pins 12. lVhile said disk 1 is held stationary the shaft" 8 is rotating and the mutilated gear 6 operates the annular ring 4 through the gear teeth 5. This tries the correction for astigmatism, andA if the spherical ametror ia is properly corrected by the lenses in the tube, the degree of astigmatism is determined by one of the lenses mounted n the annular rings 4. If the first lens is not osuilicient strength to-properly correct the cylindrical ametropia. the operator continues to rotatel the han wheel 26 thereby bringing alternately each successive cylindrical lens into the ax1s o'f the cylinder 41, and rotates said lens a distance of atleast 180 degrees, thereby bringing it into all possible positions for the correction of astigmatism. As soon as the proper strength of cylindrical lens isreached. the

operator turns it to the right angle at which 'A means of mo 41, but any orm of mechanism aecom- Abe used.

vision is clearest and by reading the scales 43 and 44 it is readily determined what strength of lens is required, and also the positlon in which the axis of the cylinder 1s' placedfor correcting astigmatism. By numbering the lenses, mounted in the annular rin s or carriers 4, the strength of the."cylin er necessary for the correction is also known. Either plus or minus cylinders can be used as required. h

'From this description it will be seen that the mechanism is compact and complete in all its details for obtainin a correct refrac tion of vthe eye in the quie est way possible, consistent wlth accurac 1 lVe do not wish to limit ourselves to the the lens 40 in the tube plishing this same purposemay be iised.

It is also to beunders'ttiod that we do not wish to limitV ourselves to the s ecied form of intermittent movement use .in this casefor. intermittently rotating the -disk 1,and also thelens carriers 4. vAny form of intermittent movement for this purpose may We claim as our invention.

l. In a refractometer the combination of a 'fixed tubehaving a lens fixed. at one end, a movable-"tube carrying another lens, a scale-and pointer for determining the relative distance of these two lenses, means for moving saidtube, a disk mounted with its axis parallel to the axis of the fixed tube,

lens carriers in said disk having lenses of varying strengths and means for rotating said disk and lens carriers, so as to brin the lenses in axial alinement with the axis of t-he fixed tube and then rotating the lens carriers each on its own axis.

2. In a refractcmeter the combination of a fixed and movable tube, a lens in each of said tubes, a disk rotatabl mounted at right vmutilated gear engaging the teeth on the lens 4carrier for a port-ion of a revolution, means for holding the disk stationary while the lens carrier is being rotated, and means for moving the disk a fraction of a revolution and means for changing the relation of the first two lenses after a complete revolution of the disk. l p 4. In a refractometer the combination of an adjustable lens, a series of cylindrical lenses, means for movin the cylindrical lenses and rotating them 1`n the axis of the adjustable lens an mechanism for holding the parts in proper relation to each other.

5. In a refractometer the combination et a fixed concave`lens, a movable convex lens, a disk containing a series -of cylindrical lenses, means for-rotating said c lindrical lenses and also for rotating the dis at regular intervals.

6. In a refractometer thecombinati'on of a tube, a xed -concave lens at one end of the tube, a movable convex lens in the' tube, a mechanism for moving saidconvex lens, a disk containing a-series of cylindrical lenses, means for rotati said disk at regular intervals, and also or rotating the cylindri cal lenses.

7 In a refractmeter the combination of.

a tube a fixed concave lens at one end of the tu a movable convex lens mounted slidably in said tube, a mechanism for mov: ing said lens, an indicator and scale for reading the relative distances of the two lenses, a disk rotatably mounted upon an axis, a series of lens carriers rotatably mounted at regular intervals in a circle near the outer edge of said disk.l and a mechanism for rotating said disk at regular intervals, and means operated by this mechanism for rotating the lens carriers a portion of a revolution.

8.. In a refractometer the combination with'the telescoping tubes and the objective and lens carried thereby, of a disk mounted on an axis parallel with the tube, a'hand wheel and mechanism for rotating and holding the disk alternately, lens carriers rotatably mounted in the outer portion of the disk, gear teeth on the lens carriers and a mutilated gear mounted on the above mechanism for engaging the teeth of the lens carrier while the disk is held stationary.

9. In a re'actometer the combination with the telcoping tubes and the objective and lens carried thereby, of a mechanism for operating the lens by hand, a disk mounted on an axis el with the tube, a hand wheel and mechanism for rotating and holding the disk alternately, lens car- 'riers rotatably mounted in the outer portion of the disk, gear teeth on the lens carners and a mutilated gear mounted on the above mechanism for engaging the teeth of the lens carrier and rotating it while the disk is held stationary, and a cam mounted on the disk for engaging the mechanism and moving the lens in the tube once during each complete revolution of the disk.

Gqes at this patent may be obtained :for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, Il. 0. 

